In this special episode of Shaping Sustainable Places recorded during Climate Week NYC 2023, we delve into the collaborative spirit driving sustainability in the development and construction sectors. The emphasis is on collective action and shared innovation to accelerate climate-focused initiatives and decarbonize the built environment.

We are honored to have Justin Travlos, Head of Responsible Investments at AXA IM Alts, Lena Hök, Executive Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation at Skanska Group, and Benoit Bazin, CEO of Saint-Gobain, as our guests. They shed light on the evolution from vision to action, detailing how their organizations are embodying sustainability commitments through cross-sector partnerships and knowledge sharing. 

The market economy is a powerful force in shaping the direction of future innovation. As our societies become more globally conscious, we create economic shifts that motivate more climate-conscious business practices.

This episode, the last one for our first season, features Magnus Persson, EVP and CFO at Skanska Group, and Thorsten Slytå, Managing Director and Head of Nordic Real Estate at BlackRock. Each is working at the forefront of the changing economic landscape relating to sustainability.

The construction and real estate industry has historically been slow to adopt new digital tools. Now, by embracing the latest available technology, we’re pushing the industry toward more sustainable construction practices that allow us to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment.

This episode features Brendan Wallace, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Fifth Wall, Henrik Ahnström, Director of Development at Skanska Commercial Development Nordic, and Stacy Smedley, Executive Director at Building Transparency. Each plays a unique role in merging the technology and real estate development sectors.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced a radical shift in our understanding of what a healthy workplace is. Now, as we adapt to the new normal of flexible work, we have an opportunity to shape a more sustainable future for the work environment that prioritizes employee health and wellness.

This episode features Dr. Whitney Austin Gray, Senior Vice President at International WELL Building Institute, Ewelina Kałużna, Head of Strategic Workplace Solutions Advisory CEE at Skanska and Managing Director at Business Link, and Theres Söderlund Lakso, Head of Internal Communications, Business Area Cloud Software & Services at Ericsson. Together, they’re creating a work environment where people want to be, one that incorporates social, environmental and urban sustainability.

High Speed Two is a railway project currently under construction in the UK. This massive undertaking aims to strengthen connections between local communities, create economic sustainability, and provide a fast and clean form of transportation across the UK.

Tim Smart, Managing Director Phase 2 at HS2 Ltd, Louise Dailly, Head of Social Sustainability at the Skanska Costain STRABAG Joint Venture, David Ode, TBM Tunnel Superintendent HS2 at Skanska, and Fiona O’Riordan, Assistant Civil Engineer at Skanska, joined this episode to share how they’re turning the HS2 vision into a reality.

Many people around the world are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprints and live more sustainably. Our homes and communities are essential in shaping a healthy and safe built environment

The latest episode of Shaping Sustainable Places, the global podcast from Skanska, features Vanessa Butani, VP of Group Sustainability at Electrolux, Guillaume Charny-Brunet, Co-Founder and Head of Ventures at SPACE10, and Juhani Aspara, Regional Manager at Skanska in Finland. Each offers some insight into how to make sustainable living more accessible on the individual level. 

This episode features Clare de Briere, EVP and Regional Manager at Skanska USA Commercial Development, and Executive Committee Chair at Urban Land Institute Americas; Cristina Gamboa, CEO at the World Green Building Council; and Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston.

Sustainability is a team effort. No organization can achieve carbon neutrality on its own but, by working together, we can enact a holistic plan of sustainability that creates a cleaner, safer and healthier built environment.

This episode features Emma Head, Technical Service Delivery Director at HS2; Alexander Ståhle, PhD Urban Design, CEO at Spacescape, Founder at Placetoplan; and Ståle Rød, Executive Vice President at Skanska Group.

The transportation sector is one of the biggest contributors to global carbon emissions. But in our globalized economy, the need for safe, fast and reliable transportation isn’t going away.

This episode features Sabrina Bornstein, Principal and Head of Climate Resilience at Buro Happold; Christopher Westley, Senior Vice President of Strategic Services at Skanska USA Commercial Development; and Sylvester Turner, Mayor of the City of Houston.

How can cities prepare for the impact of climate change in ways that also improve social equity? In this episode of Shaping Sustainable Places, we discuss what cities are doing to become more resilient.

This episode features Clay Nesler, Founder and CEO of The Nesler Group, LLC, Rune Stene, Managing Director at Powerhouse, and Tony Hans, Vice President at CMTA.

Energy is one of the hottest questions as we consider ways to ensure a sustainable future. A clean energy transition is well underway in many countries, with electrification lowering carbon emissions in transport systems as well as construction and development projects. Yet, major challenges remain. How can the built environment play a positive role here? 

This episode features Shan Arora, Director of the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design at Georgia Institute of Technology and Jimmy Mitchell, Senior Director Business Development at Skanska.

The Kendeda Building is the most environmentally advanced educational and research facility in the US Southeast. It boasts an innovative sustainable design and was also the first building in Georgia, and 28th in the world, to earn the Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification. It is net positive both in energy and water consumption, and its construction phase achieved a zero carbon footprint. It was designed and built to be a healthy, inclusive and attractive workspace for the faculty and students.

This episode features Guillaume Charny-Brunet, Co-Founder & Head of Ventures at SPACE10, Mark Watts, Executive Director at C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and Morten Kjer Jeppesen, Director & Team Lead at Gehl - Making Cities for People.

The world’s population recently topped 8 billion people, and more than half of those people live in cities today. This number is set to rise to 60% by 2030. We need our cities to be inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable in order to support this growing population. 

This episode features Lena Hök, EVP of Sustainability and Innovation at Skanska, Emmanuel Normant, VP for Sustainable Development at Saint-Gobain, and Magali Anderson, Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer at Holcim.

The built environment is responsible for 40% of energy-related CO2 emissions globally. And it just continues to grow, essentially adding one New York City each month with construction materials being the primary cause of emissions. This presents an incredible challenge. However, sustainable innovations in cement, steel, glass, and other materials can significantly move us forward on the journey toward low-carbon construction.